Down on the Farm Saturday at the Darien Nature Center

The Darien Nature Center’s eighth annual Down on the Farm event will take place on Saturday, May 26, at Cherry Lawn Park, with an early opening at 9:30 a.m. for special needs families.

The event will again feature a petting zoo and pony rides, courtesy of Pied Piper, and Almstead Trees will help kids travel to the treetops to get a bird’s-eye view of the park. There will also be construction trucks to climb aboard, courtesy of Fox Hill Builders; picnic field games, face painting, patriotic crafts, nature activities, raffle prizes, giveaways and more.

Event-goers of all ages will have a variety of food options to enjoy. New this year: four food trucks will set up shop around the park, including Cowabunga Grill offering burgers and fries, Dough Girls wood fired pizza, the Melt Mobile offering grilled cheese creations, and Skip’s Ice Cream. Specialty drinks, snacks and treats from local vendors will also be available throughout the day.

“This annual event is organized and run by incredible volunteers and is a perfect spring day outdoors for the whole family. We welcome hundreds of families each year!” said Darien Nature Center Executive Director Leila Wetmore.

Wetmore says proceeds from the event support the nature center’s work to promote a love and respect for the natural world.

The event’s co-chair and a nature center board member, Rachel Taylor, says Down on the Farm was her family’s introduction to the town of Darien.

“We were blown away by the warmth and welcome we received as we explored all of the fun activities. Every year, we like to add new elements to keep it fresh, and I hope that this year will be the best yet,” Taylor said.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the nature center and the park at 120 Brookside Road. The rain date is Sunday, May 27. Tickets are $10 per child and $5 per adult. Kids under one-year-old get in free. Tickets can be purchased online at dariennaturecenter.org/events, or the day of the event. For more information and questions, contact Administrative Affairs Manager Leah Salomoni at 203-655-7459.